What to Do After a Cancer Diagnosis
Every cancer diagnosis is accompanied by a rush of feelings and concerns, followed by the need to make plans and navigate logistics. We hurry to find relevant and gifted care providers, identify the best treatments or trials, and develop a personalized plan. How smooth or difficult this process becomes might depend on the type of cancer a patient has, or the patient’s understanding of treatment options, or whether there’s a support system in place. There’s just so much to do, consider, and know.
That’s why we’ve provided the following list of resources that will help families—or caregivers, researchers, or friends—to access information at any stage of the cancer journey.
Basic Resources
The American Cancer Society (ACS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Cancer Institute (NCI), all provide comprehensive information about everything a patient needs to know about navigating cancer. “What to do after a diagnosis” can be answered after reading easy-to-understand summaries that can support patients and family members as they get started—or prepare everyone for each step of the journey. These organizations also provide detailed information about how to find a doctor; and the NCI also coordinates a national network of cancer centers (see below).
Across these organizations’ websites, topics include the following, among many others:
- Understanding cancer
- Causes and prevention
- Diagnosis, staging, and second opinions
- Choosing a provider and specialty cancer center
- Researching clinical trials
- Screening and treatment
- Managing side effects
- Cancer care, palliative care, and caregiving
- Coping and survivorship
Menus of All Topics
- American Cancer Society: All About Cancer, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/finding-care/where-to-find-cancer-care/choosing-a-cancer-doctor.html.
- American Cancer Society: “After Diagnosis: A Guide for Patients and Families” (PDF booklet), https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/cancer-control/en/booklets-flyers/after-diagnosis-a-guide-for-patients-and-families.pdf.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cancer, https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/.
- National Cancer Institute: About Cancer, https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure/cancer-centers.
Finding a Specialty Care Center
The National Cancer Institute coordinates cancer research across the United States, and provides an infrastructure that tracks where research is being done. Their listings begin with explanations about the various types of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, along with clinical trials and other statistics. The more detailed information about the cancer centers themselves explains how these facilities are related to teaching hospitals, meet rigorous standards of research, and provide cutting-edge approaches and treatments.
- For the outline of nationwide cancer centers: https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure;
- For details on the NCI-Designated Cancer Center structure: https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure/cancer-centers;
- For a state-by-state directory of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers: https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure/cancer-centers/find.
Finding a Clinical Trial
- National Cancer Institute: Research overview, https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate.
- National Cancer Institute: NCI’s clinical trials, overview and links: https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure/clinical-trials.
- American Cancer Society: General information, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/making-treatment-decisions/clinical-trials.html.
Finding Personal Support
Each person finds a unique path through a cancer journey, and that unique path might include tips and ideas from others—as well as inspirational stories from survivors. A few of these sites include:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cancer Survivor Stories, https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/survivors/stories/index.htm.
Caring Bridge, a hub connecting cancer patients, survivors, and families as they all navigate their journeys—and provides a platform where a site can be set up for a patient where family and friends can share information and support. This site reports 30 million visits annually, https://www.caringbridge.org.